There are more than just books at the John M. Cuelenaere Public Library. (File photo/paNOW)

By paNOW Staff

Free crafts and movies

Library offers assortment of Christmas break pastimes

Dec 26, 2021 | 10:00 AM

It never fails – at some point during the Christmas break, kids will utter those dreaded words, “I’m bored.”

Luckily, the John M. Cuelenaere Public Library in Prince Albert is offering various programs for kids, teens and adults over the next few weeks and most of them are absolutely free.

Program Services Coordinator Sharon Nelson said the library has reintroduced a lot of the programs with pandemic restrictions in mind. Rather than hosting events in the building, they created a ‘Craft in a Bag’ program where people of all ages can grab all the materials needed to make things like a DIY snow globe, a cardboard reindeer or decorated coffee mug.

“We’ve also been reintroducing some in-person programs as well like our story times and movies. So, people have been starting to come back to those as well,” Nelson said.

Those movies, which are also free and shown in the library’s Mahon Auditorium on a big screen, include Mulan on Dec. 28. Trolls: World Tour will be shown on Wednesday, Dec. 29 and Norm of the North: Family Vacation will play on Thursday, Dec. 30. All Christmas break movies will be shown at 2 p.m.

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Other programs include anime drawing, teen and tween writing groups, and book clubs. Proof of vaccination or a negative test is required to enter the library but for those not ready to venture out just yet, there are virtual options. Story times can be watched via video on the library’s website and book club conversations take place via Facebook at the end of the month.

The library also started hosting online auctions on their Facebook page for books, CD’s and DVD’s coming out of their circulation. They’re categorized by genre and bundles of at least four books that can go for as little as a $1.

“There are picture books, cookbooks, science fiction, movies and if people have a Facebook page they can scroll through the pictures of bundles and place their bet. Each week we have 30 new bundles posted and we announce the winners the following Monday,” Nelson said.

An actual trip to the library this holiday may be worth it. Just over $400,000 worth of work was done on the building last summer with new flooring, ceiling panels, LED lighting, new shelving, washroom upgrades, new furniture and repairs to the exterior brick wall.

As a result of the transformation and as pandemic restrictions loosen, the library has started to see an increase in traffic.

“This year so far, we’ve had 627 library card registration requests, which is up from 443 last year with registrations expiring after three years,” Nelson said.

The number of registered patrons is also up from the end of last year and sits at 8,768.

The John M, Cuelenaere Public Library is open Monday to Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sundays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

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panews@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertNOW